For the past 4 years running, my father, brother, son & I have carved out a long weekend in September to camp & fly fish. My 12 year old son was so excited to go this year, he couldn’t sleep the night before. So maybe my small contribution to try and nurture his love of the outdoors & fly fishing (like my father did for me) is working. To echo what others have said, I truly believe the next generation represents the future of our sport and the future for pristine habitat.
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For more than two years, Randy and I had been trying to synchronize our summer schedules so that we could fish together, again in southern Colorado. In the interim, we both made several trips to Colorado and tried out all kinds of water. One of those wilderness streams, I wrote about earlier under the title of “I’m not telling….” Access to this stream requires a hike of about 5-6 miles with an elevation change of almost 1800 ft. The problem is that you walk downhill to get in and then have to hike out uphill. Many questions and doubts come into your mind at our age as you think about committing to a trip like this. Can I still hike that far in a day, on that trail? If I do will I be so shot that it will take three days to recover? Will there even be fish?
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One of the apparent universals of the human condition is the desire to collect, to possess or to hoard not only things, but ideas or even just experiences. On Facebook different polls appear in waves that seek to measure “How many states you’ve visited?” “Which of these books have you read?” or “Which of these movies have you seen?” In the common vernacular, everyone has a “bucket list” to fill. I have no idea of the etymology “bucket list” but I often succumb to this temptation myself.
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Like most of us, it has been too long since I’ve prowled the banks of a trout stream but finally after a summer of back to back to back workshops and meetings along with endless days in the triple digits, I finally was able to find the time. Following a weeklong workshop in Colorado Springs, my wife and I headed to the high country.

We arrived at our campsite just after dark in much needed rain. This campsite is the last campground near the headwaters of one of those famous Colorado rivers. I like to go as high as I can to get to the small part of the river and to get as far as I can from the crowds. In the past I’ve only had to share the campground with one or two other parties. Unfortunately, the Forest Service decided to make this campground a volunteer payment. This time there were several parties—mostly ATV’ers. There was one couple who were flyfishing. So much for complete solitude.
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Monday, July 16 was a national holiday in our country and consequently we had 3 consecutive day offs on that weekend. I had been wondering if I would go fishing in those holidays. We had heavy rain every day, which is the norm in the end of the rainy season, meaning that rivers might be too high to fish. Also, I was tired. My father fell ill and he has been in hospital since last November. My mother died 10 years ago and he lives alone. I go to the hospital and see him every two weeks, alternately with my younger brother so that either my brother or I see my father every weekend. There are things that have to be done for him, but it is especially hard for me to see my old man, who taught me the joy of fishing, who looked so mighty and powerful that it seemed as if nothing could beat him when I was a kid, deteriorating physically and mentally. I was also busy with work. So, I was tired, but the urges for fishing, the thought of me standing in a cool mountain stream where iwana dwell, finally overcame my laziness.
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“Big Cutthroats”, he said, and that was all I needed to hear. I had been talking to a guide in the Conejos River Anglers fly shop about six years ago asking about high country lake fishing in the area. A local angler stepped up and said that Crater Lake held huge Cutthroat trout. He said the hike was fairly difficult so that kept most people out. Since that day six years ago I had been hoping to fish Crater Lake. After all, you can’t beat alpine lakes and native cutthroats.
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Had a discussion recently about small stream fishing and methods... and it made me think. I'm not sure where to post this, so it goes here where lurkers, members, search bots and everyone else can see.

smallstreams is not about fly fishing. It's about fishing small streams in any responsible manner you choose.

Sure, most of the participants here are primarily fly fishers, but I honestly believe there is nothing wrong with casting spinners on monofilament, there is nothing better or worse using some other type of pole that's been used for centuries and is the latest fashion from overseas. Fishing is fishing.
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Just wanted to share some pics of my small stream fly fishing adventures over the last year.
All stream pics are from CT, NY, MA & NH.
Starts with first fish of 2011 & ends with first fish of 2012.
Wishing everyone a great 2012 on the water.
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